Meddling Engagement
by ClockworksMan
Summary: When Dan runs off, Clockwork begins finding odd things in the timeline.


Dan runs into Clockwork's quarters and begins talking without waiting for a simple greeting. "Hey, um, I think there's something wrong with one of your timeline viewy thingies."

Clockwork sighs. "What? I'm busy." He wasn't actually doing anything in there as he just got there. He honestly wanted nothing more than to be left alone.

"I don't know. It just doesn't look right. It looks like it might be cracked." He then proceeds to leave for the viewing room, expecting Clockwork to follow him, which he begrudgingly does. Dan, however, strays from the path of which he normally would go, leaving Clockwork alone in the viewing room.

Once he knows he's alone, he pulls out a satchel and takes a small scythe from it. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" He throws the satchel over his shoulder and slashes a time portal into the wall in front of him before jumping in and getting to work.

Clockwork on the other hand is busy fixing a screen that Dan clearly broke to distract him. It certainly worked. That is until the screen begins working again. On the screen he found a Victorian Paris precisely where the Eiffel Tower is being constructed. Something was off, however. This isn't the same as the last time Clockwork viewed it. Upon closer inspection he found a vase full of light blue tweedias.

"What in the world are those doing there?" He inquires then thinks for a moment. "They're still anomalies nonetheless." He goes and prepares a medium sized bag to transport them with. As soon as he feels ready, he goes right into the portal.

As he's collecting the flowers and vase, a note falls out. He picks it up and reads it to himself softly. "Clocky, follow the clues to find me. - Dan." He flips it over to find a second message. "Clue #1: He's like you, but younger and British." Clockwork rolls his eyes. "I'm not old…" He pauses before opening the portal. "What could he possibly be up to?"

After going through the portal he finds himself in the heart of Big Ben. He begins looking around. "Clues. Clues…" He turns around and finds a table with something white folded up on it. He picks it up. It's a brand new cloak with the same flowers where his cog usually is. Another note. "Clocky, I've noticed yours tearing a bit, so I thought you deserved a new one. 3 Dan" As before, he flipped it over. "Clue #2: Kitty love sushi :3!" Clockwork can't help but chuckle at this. He gingerly folds the cloak and puts it in his bag with the flowers, making sure he doesn't damage them.

He thinks back to their first date. He had taken them back to Japan during the dawn of sushi so they could enjoy the genuine article. It honestly wasn't quite as good as they had hoped, but they had an amazing time either way. Clockwork had gone on out and purchased some lanterns so they could release them after the sunset. That led to their first kiss.

He then knew exactly where he needed to go. 1756 Tokyo, Japan, then known as Edo. As he stepped out of the portal, he was greeted by the gorgeous, cherry blossom filled park in the heart of Edo right next to an early sushi vending booth. He quickly disguises himself as a young adult human before anyone can see him.

As he was searching the park, the vendor spots him. "Hey, young man!" The vendor gravels out. Clockwork turns to face him. "Is your name…" He pauses to look at a piece of paper. "C-Clockwork?"

"Possibly, why?" Clockwork asks warily.

"A strange looking man stopped by and asked me to give you this when you arrive." He turns and grabs a small box and places it on the counter next to the money box.

Clockwork hesitantly goes over to the vendor and takes the box. "Um, thanks." He then goes to sit on a bench to open the box. He finds a silver pocket watch with celestial constellations on the cover within said box. A small smile tugs at the time masters lips as he picks up the enclosed note. "Why do you never wear this one, Clockwork? It's personally my favorite in your collection. PS. Please don't kill me for stealing it. I needed something borrowed." Clockwork stops at that last remark. "Something borrowed? Why would he…?" That's when things began to click. He opens up his bag and looks at the gifts, mumbling to himself. "Blue flowers, a new cloak, and a borrowed pocket watch… 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'." He shakes the thoughts away. "No, he must be messing with me. He'd never pull something this sappy, right?" He flips the note over and resumes reading. "Clue #3: When in Rome… (I know, creative, right? :P )" He chuckles. "Subtle."

As he turns back into a ghost and opens up the next portal, he smirks at the memory of Dan telling him that he'd love to be one of Rome's 'people-eater lions'. What a nerd. "Ancient Rome it is." He quietly sneaks around the coliseum as to avoid waking the lions. One of the lions stretches and rolls over, revealing the next gift. He swiftly swoops down and grabs before the lion rolls back over. He sighs once he's out of the lions' earshot. "Really, Dan?" He rips the brown paper off of the thin package. His eyes widen and his cheeks tinge purple when he realizes what it is. It's a photograph of the two on them on the boat during their first date just smiling and talking in a beautifully flawless gold frame. "How did he get a picture of this?" He looks to the note hoping for an answer, but this time it goes straight to the clue. "Clue #4: You know how I love big cats and riddles." It takes him a moment, but he figures out where he must go next.

He steps through the portal to Egypt, but this time it was different. Dan was here this time. He was wearing a stereotypical pharaoh outfit, but that wasn't the strangest part. He was CARVING into the Sphinx! "Daniel Vladimir Phantom! What in the world do you think you're doing?!"

Dan quickly finishes what he was writing and turns around. "It's not as bad as it seems, Clocky!" He floats over to Clockwork and puts his hands on his shoulders. "Just read it!"

"Why?! What did you do?!"

"Just. Calm down and read it."

Clockwork rolls his eyes and complies. The carving in the Sphinx reads "Clockwork will you marry me?" For the second time today his face lights up with purple. When he turns back around to face Dan, Dan is down on one knee.

Dan nervously holds up the blood red gemmed ring with a cog encircling the gem. "So? Will you?"

Clockwork smiles a tiny bit. "Absolutely." He watches as Dan smiles widely and puts the ring on his finger. "But you're still in trouble for damaging an ancient artifact."

Dan smirks and kisses Clockwork. "Worth it."


End file.
